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Introduction

Of Guerrero’s nineteen Masses only three are based on themes of secular origin, the present one being modelled on a few passages from Janequin’s popular chanson La guerre, sometimes known as La bataille de Marignan; the battle at Marignano was fought in 1515 and the chanson was printed in 1528. Guerrero’s Mass came out in his Missarum Liber Secundus, printed in Rome in 1582. Its odd title refers in Spanish to the battle, adding the French ‘escoutez’, the first word of Janequin’s chanson. At the end of the century, Victoria used this graphic battle-piece as material for his own Missa Pro Victoria, creating a very lively work. Guerrero’s setting is more circumspect, sober in contrast with Victoria’s and Janequin’s own, rather literal, ‘parody’ Mass. It seems that Guerrero had no intention to be spectacular in the manner of the original, nor in the way that battle Masses and organ ‘battles’ became riotously Baroque in the following centuries.

It is best for the listener to forget the origins of Guerrero’s themes and accept his masterly work for its intrinsic beauty and vigour. Written for five voices (SSATB), the Mass has subsections for trios at ‘Domine Deus, agnus Dei’ in the Gloria and for the Benedictus (SSA and SAB, respectively); in the Credo, ‘Crucifixus …’ is for a quartet (SSAT). The second Agnus Dei calls for eight voices, but not as a ‘call and answer’ double choir. Variety is also introduced by the use of that swinging triple time which the Spaniards called tiempo de proporción (sesquialtera) in the second Kyrie and in the Osanna sections after the Sanctus and Benedictus.

Recordings

'Anniversary CD of the year—and my personal favourite' (Gramophone)'James O'Donnell and the Westminster Choir have surely come up with another stunning winner. Hyperion and all involved in this record deserve a very s ...» More

Glory to God in the highest
and on earth peace to men of good will.
We praise you. We bless you.
We adore you. We glorify you.
We give you thanks for your great glory.
Lord God, king of heaven,
God the Father almighty,
Lord, only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ,
Lord God, lamb of God, Son of the Father,
you who take away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us;
you who take away the sins of the world,
receive our prayer;
you who sit at the right hand of the Father,
have mercy on us.
For you only are holy. You only are Lord.
You only are most high, Jesus Christ.
With the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father.
Amen.

I believe in one God, Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all visible and invisible things.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten son of God,
born of the Father before all ages,
God from God, light from light,
true God from true God,
begotten not made, consubstantial with the Father,
by whom all things were made.
Who for us men, and for our salvation,
came down from heaven, and was incarnate
by the Holy Spirit through the virgin Mary,
and was made man. He was also crucified for us:
under Pontius Pilate he died and was buried.
And on the third day he rose again in accordance
with the scriptures. And ascended into heaven:
he sits at the right hand of the Father.
And he will come again with glory to judge the living
and the dead: there will be no end to his kingdom.
And in the Holy Spirit, Lord and
giver of life: who comes from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son together is adored
and glorified; who spoke through the prophets.
And in one holy, catholic
and apostolic church. I confess one
baptism for the remission of sins.
And I await the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.